Mothers of Invention: Giving New Meaning to 'Girl Power'

Jessica Matthews and Julia Silverman, Founders of sOccket

The two invented a soccer ball that generates clean, accessible electrical energy—the first of a series of products for their company, Uncharted Play, which uses a combination of technology and play to help the 1.3 billion people worldwide who live without electricity. Matthews and Silverman conceived of the sOccket as Harvard University undergrads: Every kick of the ball charges LEDs or small batteries; 30 minutes of play yields hours of light. Last summer, the White House invited Matthews to present a sOccket to President Obama, who was traveling in Tanzania; she watched as he kicked it around with the country’s president, Jakaya Kikiwete. In December, Uncharted Play unveiled the beta version of the Pulse, a jump rope that generates five times the electricity of the sOccket.